The present invention relates generally to fastener components and systems, and more particularly to a new and improved blind hole panel nut, and a blind hole panel nut and bolt fastener assembly, for providing a blind hole fastener which not only permits installation of fastener components from only one accessible side of a fastener location, but in addition, facilitates easy installation and removal of the fastener assembly, and still further, permits the nut member to be independently self-supported upon a panel or plate member prior to installation or insertion of the corresponding bolt member.
Blind hole fasteners, such as, for example, nut type fasteners, wherein such fasteners are able to be installed from only one accessible side of a fastener location, for example, a front or forward side, are of course well known. One well known type of blind hole fastener comprises snap-in fasteners wherein fasteners are snap-fitted into fastener site locations from the front or forward accessible side of the location and which are therefore also able to be independently self-supported upon a plate or panel in preparation for subsequent engagement by, for example, a bolt member. Such snap-in fasteners are exemplified by means of U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,559 which issued to Shirai on May 5, 1998, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,649,884 which issued to Westover on Aug. 25, 1953. A major disadvantage or drawback characteristic of such snap-in fasteners, however, as can readily be appreciated, is that while such fasteners are relatively easy to install, such fasteners are somewhat difficult to remove or exchange should such an operation become necessary because it is difficult to in effect reverse the snap-in procedure as it is usually necessary to access the snap-in fasteners from the opposite, back or rear side of the fastener location which is usually in fact inaccessible.
Another type of blind hole self-supporting fastener is disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 1,912,100 which issued to Rosenberg on May 30, 1933. In accordance with the disclosure of this patent, the fastener comprises a rectangular plate 1 and a pair of oppositely extending winged feet 7,7 which are fixed at central portions of the longer sides of the plate 1. To install the fastener within an apertured plate or panel 2, the feet 7,7 engage the accessible side of the plate or panel 2 while one end of the plate 1 is inserted through the aperture 8 of the plate or panel 2, the plate 1 is then slid toward one extreme end of the aperture 8 so as to permit the other end of the plate 1 to be effectively inserted through the aperture 8 of the plate or panel 2, and finally, the plate 1 is slid in the reverse direction with respect to aperture 8 so as to effectively center the fastener upon the plate or panel 2 and with respect to aperture 8. The disadvantage or drawback of this particular type of fastener is that due to the lateral shiftability of the fastener with respect to the lateral boundaries of the aperture 8, the stability characteristics of such fastener may not be sufficient for a large number of fastener applications. More particularly, it is possible for the fastener to be inadvertently withdrawn from the aperture 8 in view of the fact that if the fastener is laterally moved back to its original or first insertion position, one end of the plate 1 could be dislodged from its respective end of the aperture 8 resulting in possible withdrawal of the fastener from the aperture 8.
A third type of fastener, which is useable in connection with the fastener type applications with which the present invention is concerned, comprises well known quarter turn fasteners. The operational disadvantage or drawback characteristic of conventional quarter-turn fasteners, however, is that such fasteners are normally not self-supporting with respect to the support panel or plate upon which the fastener is to be installed. That is, such fasteners cannot normally be installed upon the plate or panel prior to insertion, installation, or engagement of a bolt or similar fastener with the quarter-turn fastener.
A need therefore exists for a new and improved blind hole plate or panel nut-type fastener which renders installation and removal relatively easy, provides the requisite amount of stability, and which is able to be self-supporting with respect to the base plate or panel upon which the panel nut is to be installed and prior to installation, insertion, or engagement of an operatively associated bolt fastener with the panel nut.
A blind hole panel nut, and blind hole panel nut and bolt fastener assembly includes a nut member having a predetermined geometrical configuration, such as, for example, rectangular, elliptical, or diamond-shaped, as defined by major or longitudinal and minor or lateral axes or dimensions as well as relatively long sides and relatively short ends.
The nut member having such a predetermined geometrical configuration is adapted to be inserted within a correspondingly shaped aperture formed within a support panel or plate member upon which a nut and bolt fastener assembly is to be mounted. The nut member also has a predetermined axial depth and is provided with an axially oriented threaded bore, for threadedly receiving a bolt fastener. The threaded bore is located substantially centrally within the nut member so as to be disposed at the intersection of the major or longitudinal and minor or lateral axes. Slots are formed at mid-portions of the nut member, as considered in the axial depth direction, within opposite longitudinal ends of the nut member so as to extend longitudinally inwardly from the opposite relatively shorts ends of the nut member toward the centrally located threaded bore as well as to extend laterally across the nut member from one relatively long side to the other.
The present blind hole panel nut, and blind hole panel nut and bolt fastener assembly, overcomes the various disadvantages and drawbacks characteristic of prior art fasteners and fastener assemblies.
The improved blind hole panel nut, and blind hole panel nut and bolt fastener assembly, are able to be self-supporting with respect to a base plate or panel upon which the panel nut is to be installed and prior to installation, insertion, or engagement of an operatively associated bolt fastener with the panel nut.
The blind hole panel nut, and blind hole panel nut and bolt fastener assembly, render installation and removal relatively easy from either side of a support panel or plate and provide the requisite amount of stability required for the particular application purposes.
In a current embodiment, the opposite slotted end portions of the nut member include, as considered in the axial depth direction, an upper nut plate or disk portion, an axially central slotted portion, and a lower nut plate or disk portion. Accordingly, when the nut member is to be inserted or mounted upon the support panel or plate member, upon which the blind hole panel nut and bolt fastener assembly is to be mounted, the nut member having its predeterminedly unique configuration is inserted into the correspondingly configured aperture defined within the support panel or plate such that the major and minor axes or dimensions of the nut member and the support plate or panel are aligned with each other.
In addition, the nut member is inserted into the aperture defined in the support panel or plate in the depth-wise direction such that the slot portions of the nut member are aligned in a planar manner with the support panel or plate. Subsequently, the nut member is rotated a predetermined angle from its originally inserted position whereby the major axis or dimension of the nut member is now disposed transversely with respect to the aperture defined within the support plate or panel, or in other words, whereby the major axis or dimension of the nut member is effectively aligned with the minor axis or dimension of the support plate or panel aperture. In a current embodiment, the nut member is rotated 90xc2x0 from its originally inserted position.
In view of the fact that the upper and lower nut plate or disk portions are now disposed upon opposite sides of the support plate or panel so as to be respectively disposed in surface contact with the outer surface and inner or undersurface portions of the support plate or panel, the nut member is securely mounted upon the support plate or panel.
In a present embodiment, the blind hole panel nut includes a panel engaging element. The upper and lower disk portions define inner wall portions and the panel engaging element can be formed as a tapering surface on one or both of the inner wall portions. The tapering surface tapers toward the opposing wall portions.
The inner wall surfaces can along the first major longitudinal axis or along the second minor lateral axis.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.